Archive for Guilt

If you want to live with confidence and clarity to move through life’s many choices, you need an unwavering source of guidance. Lucky for you it is built in. The feelings of Guilt are meant to guide you. Where? To your truth, the decider of your actions. But how to sort through all the noise of thoughts and opinions inside and out, that chaos called duality that causes conflict?

The simple answer is, quiet the mind and listen to your heart. When you feel that downward pressure like the ground falling away from beneath you, taking your legs and stomach with it, Guilt is demanding that you tune in, find your truth and follow it. Listening from neutrality, as any good judge must do, is the way.

How to find Neutral Mind? Meditation is the best way. Vigorous exercise, being deeply relaxed, even exhausted surrender are some of the many means. Getting to that peace from the push and pull takes time, especially when feelings run high. Learn to do this in peacetime so you can find it in emergency.

In addition to indispensible neutrality, it’s helpful to know that there are 3 types of truth vying for your attention. Knowing the difference, you can more easily choose which one to follow.

The 3 Types of Truth

1- Personal truth: instinctive, individual, self-serving, survival, needs driven, neurotic, no room for any other truth. Name some of yours.

2- Circumstantial truth: others in your group agree with you- giving it more clout, imposed by some on others, basis of wars, changes with time, confronts and stimulates change. What do your people all agree upon that the “others” are so misguided about?

3- Universal Truth, stands test of time, not always recognized and valued by all, attacked when threatens lesser truths, reveals and coincides with the way of the universe. Can you name some of these you resonate with?

By personal experience with all of these truths, by discovering how you like the effects of following each one, you slowly get sick of bad consequences and find fondness for Universal Truths. We all live and learn in Universe University. Whether by a burning bush, a personal tragedy, a peak experience, the voice of a teacher or your own still moment, we all get glimpses of Universal Truth.

Upon knowing Truth, the next life-defining choice is whether or not to follow it! At first you don’t trust “It”. But give it a try. You learn that aligning with it, living to it, always brings the best overall long-term outcome. When Universal Truth becomes Your truth, the basis of your choices and actions, you are free; you are beyond blame and claims. Beyond duality, you feel strong and clear: it’s easy to know what is right. Your inner compass is working. Life may not always be easy, but it becomes simple and straight; you know what is right because you are the judge!

To review:

When you feel confused, conflicted about what to do, guilty or caught in the act, don’t react.

Find your Neutral mind.

Ask your self/ heart/ body/ soul, “What is the Truth, the Way to be light?” Listen by feeling, not thinking. Truth will be revealed. If not, back to #2.

Obey that Truth. In time you will trust It and trust yourself to follow it.

Such is the identification with Truth, it makes you pure. When you agree to agree to it, your mind becomes sure. – Guru Nanak

How do you know what’s right? Plenty of people want to tell you what’s right and wrong, what you should do. But there are always at least two sides, and they are usually in conflict with each other. When that conflict is inside your own head that’s a war that can wear you out.

There are so many choices. Everybody wants to sell you their beliefs, convince you, win you over or force you to take their political stance, religious belief, opinion or way of doing things. You can’t decide and you live with an internal conflict without conviction. You hold one viewpoint or follow a law then popular opinion and even the law changes. We feel bad when enough people say we’re wrong, and it’s worse when we tell ourselves we are bad. What’s a truth seeker to do?

The only way through and decision and moral dilemma is to find YOUR truth. Happily, it is always accessible. You have an internal compass to know what’s right and wrong, and it is called Guilt. You don’t like or trust Guilt because it has historically been hijacked by others to manipulate you into following their beliefs and their truths. But you can reclaim Guilt and it’s pure original purpose: to let you no when you strayed from your integrity so you can follow the only truth that will set you free.

Conscious Guilt serves as an internal judge, so we can evaluate our actions and align with our true character. Working mindfully with Guilt we will reclaim our ability to know our own highest truth, and learn to live it.

Conscious Guilt is an opportunity for honest self-review. When you make a mistake, Guilt illuminates a chance to review your behavior and find what works for you and what doesn’t. You can then correct your behavior to prevent those undesirable consequences in the future. You are the only judge!

“Old” Guilt judges, attacks and tries to actually eliminate whatever is considered “bad” in oneself or others. But we are always a blend of all possibilities. Conscious Guilt helps us navigate and work with our intrinsic and inevitable opposites like good and bad. Taking responsibility for our mistakes, the “weak” or “evil” within our imperfect selves, brings us to integrity – the ability to stand strong and confidently in all that we do. Without clear convictions we are conflicted and can be convicted.

Be done with sin and suffering. When you feel bad the first job is to get to neutral, and use that clarity to honestly assess the decision or action. Your gut will tell you if it was/ is okay with you. If not, take responsibility to mend your ways. Feeling good about yourself is the reward.

More about getting neutral and sorting out Truth next time in: Tell the Truth! Who’s Truth?

When the healing influences of free-flowing guilt and shame flow gracefully through your psyche, you won’t be painfully shame-ridden or guilt-laden; instead you’ll have a com passionate sense of ethics, the courage to judge and supervise your own conduct, and the strength to amend your behaviors without inflating or deflating your ego unnecessarily. …you’ll feel proud of yourself… – Karla McLaren